Friends,
Daniel Webster (1782-1852) is one of the most celebrated American statesmen of the early nineteenth century. He is perhaps most remembered for serving in the US Senate, where his unequaled oratory made him one of its most influential members.
But Webster first gained national recognition as a young attorney who successfully argued several key cases before the US Supreme Court. Remarkably, some of his legal opponents even withdrew from cases after learning that they would have to contend with the formidable Webster!
This penchant for awing his audiences started young. When he was just six years old, Daniel Webster won a Bible memorization competition at school. Young Dan spent minutes reciting some seventy or eighty verses, causing his exasperated teacher to tell him he had presented enough and was unquestionably the victor!
Webster would later insist that the best way to become a great public speaker is to read Bible verses aloud, proving that he never forgot the role Bible memorization played in his childhood development.
His love for God’s Word did not fade as he entered adulthood, either. Webster committed himself to reading through the entirety of the Bible annually, and he made sure his family read scripture and prayed together daily.
Webster also concerned his brilliant mind with the question of whether the Bible can be trusted. Was Jesus Christ truly the divine Son of God whose blood could wash away sin? Having memorized much of the Bible as a child and studied it as an adult, Daniel Webster boldly affirmed:
“The Gospel is either true history, or it is a consummate fraud; it is either reality or an imposition. Christ was what He professed to be, or He was an imposter. There is no other alternative. His spotless life in the earnest enforcement of that truth—His suffering in its defense, forbid us to suppose that He was suffering an illusion of a heated brain. Every act of His pure and holy life shows that He was the author of truth, the advocate of truth, and the uncompromising sufferer for truth. Now, considering the purity of His doctrines, the simplicity of His life, and the sublimity of His death, is it possible that He would have died for an illusion?”
Jesus Christ claimed to be God. He claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life. He claimed that faith in him – faith in his divinity, faith in his perfect life, and faith in his willingness to take upon himself the punishment we deserve – is the only way people can be reconciled with God.
As Daniel Webster rightly noted, falsely claiming those things to be true would make someone either a madman or a con artist. Yet the evidence of Christ’s life and the fruit of his ministry and teachings makes clear that Jesus is neither crazy nor a liar. The biblical record is true: the King of kings and Lord of lords who upholds the universe by the word of his power is worthy of both our trust and our worship.
Blessings to you,
Blaine Conzatti
Director of Advocacy
by Stuart Shepard, Executive Producer
Just two blocks off the National Mall, within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol and the sprawling Smithsonian Institution, The Museum of the Bible will open its doors to the public on November 17.
Members of the Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, are the driving force behind the 430,000-square-foot Museum. You may recall, they challenged pro-abortion aspects of Obamacare all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court – and won. It was a precedent-setting, religious-freedom victory for every Christian family-owned business in the nation.
No doubt, visitors who just finished strolling through the Museum of Natural History or the Air & Space Museum will have extremely high expectations when they step through the enormous main entrance to the Museum.
By all accounts, those expectations will be met – and exceeded.
https://youtu.be/0yu-c6RJW9E
Even the reliably liberal Washington Post praised the exceptional quality of the architecture, the exhibits and the technology – acknowledging it sets a Smithsonian-challenging standard. Not surprisingly, in the midst of those accolades, the Post maintained its establishment-media snark:
The Bible Museum has come to town, in all its technical splendor, bearing with it something that most historians and museum professionals may have thought was long discredited: the “master narrative” idea of history, that there is one sweeping human story that needs to be told, a story that is still unfolding and carrying us along with it. It tells this seductive story well, in many places with factual accuracy, and always with an eye to clarity and entertainment. It is an exciting idea, and an enormously powerful tool for making sense of the world.
Unless, of course, you don’t believe it.
Please add our names to the list of people who actually do believe it.
The Museum of the Bible underscores in great detail, with original artifacts, remarkable transparency and even-handedness, why the Bible is true, reliable and worth our time to study. We are all, indeed, living within God’s larger story for humanity.
LEARN MORE
Connect with the Museum of the Bible on the Web, Facebook and Twitter.
Dear Friends,
Last Saturday, a man participating in a “rally” in Charlottesville, Virginia, drove his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, injuring 19 and killing one. The suspect has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including murder.
The driver was participating in a “rally” organized by white nationalists. He was photographed standing with other protestors carrying a shield bearing one group’s logo. To be clear, these are groups that claim America is an exclusively a white nation and that people with “white blood” have a special bond with American soil.
All these many miles away in Idaho, we witnessed evil that showed utter contempt for the Creator. We are all created in God’s image. In Idaho, we ache for our fellow Americans so far away. In Idaho, we wonder what is happening to us as a country.
This incident has stirred a national conversation about race and racism in America. For Christians, the central question is, “What does the Bible have to say about this?” The answer is straightforward:
You can be a follower of Christ or a white supremacist, but you can’t be both.
The dignity of every human life is a tenet of Christian faith. It is derived from the belief that God creates every person “in His image” (Gen. 1:27). Therefore, as Image Bearers, every person has inherent dignity, is precious, and has unalienable rights worthy of the protection of our laws.
One biblical application of this principle is opposition to abortion. Unborn babies are created in God’s image, therefore we work to protect them from being killed. The same principle rejects racism, because people of every race, color and ethnicity are created in the Image of God. Each person is an irreplaceable piece in God’s tapestry.
A claim of superiority by any group is evil and a rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
To reject a person because of their race is a rejection of God’s way, but it is also means missing out on a gift that God has given us: In our differences, we see a fuller portrait of Him.
The Gospel speaks truth into the cultural issues of our time. The church…we…need to become more fluent in applying biblical principles to life in 21st century America.
In the aftermath of the Charlottesville attack, many expressed hope that pastors would speak to this same truth from their pulpit. The Gospel has something to say to racism, just as it has something to say about abortion, sexual sin, and more.
Rick Hogaboam, Pastor at Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Nampa wrote this, “Racial tribalists and ethno-nationalists hate the Gospel of a crucified, Jewish Messiah offering salvation to all people. I love this Gospel, which is why I absolutely hate racism and find deplorable any teaching that subordinates blacks or any people group based on their skin color. ‘For God so loved the world.'”
Did your pastor say anything? If so, would you email me and tell me about it? Family Policy Alliance of Idaho wants to connect with church leaders who understand this responsibility.
Sincerely,
Julie Lynde
Policy Director
Last Saturday, we saw what happens when the truth of Genesis 1:27, that God made man – all humanity – in His own image, is forgotten. There can be no equivocation, no half-statements, no second guessing what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hatred of other people, merely for the color of their skin, ruled the day.
The man who drove his car into the crowd and those white supremacists he came to join showed pure and utter evil. Their hatred of the image of God should shock us all.
Let me be abundantly clear: You can be a follower of Christ or a white supremacist, but you can’t be both.
The dignity of every human life is a tenet of Christian faith. It is derived from the belief that God creates every person “in His image” (Gen. 1:27). Because of Imago Dei, every person has inherent dignity, is precious, and has rights.
But, this conversation should not begin and end when we see overt racism. It should not stay on our conscience for only as long as the memory of the young woman who lost her life is still fresh. The celebration of the Imago Dei, the cherishing of all human life, should drive our passion to eradicate eugenics-driven Planned Parenthood centers around our nation, and it should flow through our conversations as we consider genetic “screening tests” for preborn babies.
You see, as the nation was rightly riveted and outraged by the events of Charlottesville, few discussed a CBS News story that proclaimed Iceland ahead of other nations in “eradicating” Down Syndrome. The story seemed pleased that the condition was “disappearing” in the nation.
The truth, however, is that Icelanders – believing themselves genetically superior to those with Down Syndrome – are killing preborn babies based on a genetic test.
How disgusting! Yet, such attitudes toward human life are very much alive here in our nation. Preborn babies who are unwanted or somehow wrongly defined as “flawed,” the infirm, the elderly, and, yes, those of a different race, are often discarded and even hated for the diversity the Maker endowed upon them. All of them fully bear the image of God.
Man’s original sin was largely rooted in a belief in his wisdom over God’s. Shortly thereafter comes a hatred of the very image of God and a destruction of human life. How it must grieve the heart of our Lord to see hatred of His own image in our nation!
To consider oneself superior to another for any reason is to reject God; it is sin.
In the aftermath of the Charlottesville attack, some (including me) expressed hope that pastors would talk about it from their pulpits. The Gospel has something to say about racism. It has something to say about how we value human life. For victims of racism, it is a message of hope and justice; for those with racism in their hearts, the Gospel brings conviction and calls for repentance.
Did your church address what happened in Charlottesville? If not, this may be the time to politely ask your pastor, “Why not?” Ask whether your church exists to provide answers to a world in need? And, can your church glorify its King if we fail to discuss the important issues today surrounding the Imago Dei?
At Family Policy Alliance of Georgia, we will work to empower the church here to speak out, and we will work to protect the image of God, alive and well in all people, in our political and policy efforts.
Your prayers for our nation, our state, the church, for our witness, and for our efforts to honor our Savior are, as always, much appreciated.
Joining you in sorrow and in hopeful prayer,
Cole Muzio
Executive Director
Last Saturday, in Charlottesville, Virginia, a man drove his car into a crowd, injuring 19 and killing one person who were protesting a white supremacy march. The driver was photographed at a protest standing with members of a white supremacist group and carrying a shield bearing the group’s logo shortly before the incident. He was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including murder.
This despicable, racist incident has stirred a national conversation about race and racism in America. People wonder if our faith has anything to say about this.
It most definitely does.
I believe that you can be a follower of Christ with a message bearing His love or you can be a white supremacist with a message of hate, but you can’t be both. The dignity of every human life is a tenet of Christian faith. It is derived from the belief that God creates every person “in His image” (Gen. 1:27). Every person has inherent dignity, is precious, and has rights.
This principle is at the center of Christian ethics. For example, unborn babies are created in God’s image, therefore we work to protect them from being killed. People who are infirm, elderly, or deemed by the elites as “not useful to society” deserve similar advocacy when faced with the growing threat of “assisted suicide.”
This belief puts racism at odds with Christianity. People of every race, color and ethnicity are created in the image of God. The Bible teaches that each person is an irreplaceable piece in God’s tapestry. To consider oneself superior to another in God’s eyes for any reason is a sin.
In the aftermath of the Charlottesville attack, some expressed hope that pastors would talk about it from their pulpit. For victims of racism, it is a message of hope and justice; for those with racism in their hearts, the Gospel brings conviction and calls for repentance. Did your church address what happened in Charlottesville? I hope so. Especially in our churches, the body of Christ, we exist to provide answers to a world in need.
Family Policy Alliance exists to give voice to biblical citizens in North Dakota and across the nation, including proclaiming Christ’s message of love for all, regardless of their race. Please join us in proclaiming this message. Let others know that we stand with those who proclaim God’s love to all!
Sincerely,
Mark Jorritsma
Executive Director
Dear Friends,
Last Saturday, in Charlottesville, Virginia, a man plowed his car into a crowd, injuring 19 and killing one. The driver was photographed at a protest organized by notorious racist leaders standing with members of a white supremacist group and carrying a shield bearing the group’s logo. He was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including murder.
This evil act of terrorism has stirred a national conversation about race and racism in America. People around the country are wondering if Christianity has anything to say.
It does.
You can be a follower of Christ or a white supremacist, but you can’t be both.
The dignity of every human life is a tenet of Christian faith. It is derived from the belief that God creates every person “in His image” (Gen. 1:27). Because of Imago Dei, every person has inherent dignity, is precious, and has rights.
This principle is central to Christian ethics. For example, preborn babies are created in God’s image, therefore we work to protect them from being killed. People who are infirm, elderly, or deemed “not useful to society” by the elites, deserve similar advocacy when faced with the growing threat of “assisted suicide.”
I shared my thoughts on this with Stuart Shepard in this week’s Family Policy Briefing.
The doctrine of Imago Dei puts racism at odds with Christianity, too. People of every race, color and ethnicity are created in the Image of God. The Bible teaches that each person is an irreplaceable piece in God’s tapestry. To consider oneself superior to another for any reason is to reject God; it is sin.
In the aftermath of the Charlottesville attack, some (including me) expressed hope that pastors would talk about it from their pulpit. The Gospel has something to say about racism. For victims of racism, it is a message of hope and justice; for those with racism in their hearts, the Gospel brings conviction and calls for repentance.
Did your church address what happened in Charlottesville? If not, this may be the time to politely ask your pastor, “Why not?” Ask whether your church exists to provide answers to a world in need? Family Policy Alliance exists to give voice to biblical citizens in Kansas and across the nation.
Sincerely,
Eric Teetsel
President
What do we say about Charlottesville?
Racism, protests, murder. This is clearly not what God desires for our nation. But it’s definitely what everyone is talking about this week.
Eric Teetsel, president of Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, says a person can be a follower of Jesus Christ or a white supremacist – but not both. He offers a biblical perspective connecting the dots from your pro-life beliefs to what should be preached in your church.
by Eric Teetsel, president, Family Policy Alliance of Kansas
I was put to shame last week.
This is what happened. A friend told my wife that a doctor had given a talk at her women’s group at church on transgender issues. My wife mentioned it to me. Curious, I asked for more details.
I learned that the speaker was Beth Sonneville, a chaplain at Children’s Mercy Hospital. The purpose of her presentation was to make a biblical argument in favor of transgenderism.
Her argument included Genesis 1:27, which says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Apparently, per Sonneville, this passage says that God contains both male and female, and since we are all created in God’s image, we each have male and female within us.
Sonneville also used Galatians 3:28 – or part of it anyway. The passage she used was, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one”.
It’s a lie. Like the serpent in the Garden, Sonneville twists God’s word to further her pernicious influence.
Genesis 1:27 is fundamental in the Bible’s instruction on human sexuality, but it is not the only word on the subject. A proper understanding of any verse must take into account the full counsel of God’s word. In this case, the Bible provides a fuller account in Genesis 2, and fuller explication of Genesis 1:27 from both Paul and Jesus Himself in Matthew 19, among other teachings.
Genesis 2 provides “the rest of the story” of the creation of Adam and Eve. Here we find Adam in the Garden alone. For the first time, God’s pattern of creation and affirmation is interrupted. Whereas before the LORD surveyed everything He made and saw that it was good, in response to Adam’s loneliness God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him,” (18).
God says a creation in which man is without woman is “not good.” We are complementary pieces. At the close of chapter 2, the Bible says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” (24).
In his letter to the Church in Ephesus, Paul quotes this verse from Genesis and reveals that the one flesh union of husband and wife is a living picture of a magnificent spiritual reality. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church,” (3:32).
Contrary to Sonneville, the implication of the Imago Dei for human sexuality is not that each of us contains male and female, but rather that the duality of male and female was instituted by God as part of a created order that brings distinct halves together in marriage in demonstration of God’s love for His Church.
Sonneville’s twisting of Galatians 3:28 is even more obvious and damnable. She simply left out the crucial clause at the end: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Emphasis added.)
Put aside for a moment the male and female aspect of this verse. What exactly does Sonneville think Paul was saying about Jews and Greeks? Slave and free? If you apply the logic of her conclusion, Paul was not only eliminating sexual distinctions but ethnic and class distinctions as well. That would be odd for Paul, who later relies on his dual citizenship as both a Jew and a Roman in his appeal to Caesar (Acts 25) and who exhorts bondservants to obey their masters and masters to be good to their slaves (Ephesians 6).
Clearly, Galatians 3:28 is not the literal elimination of every differentiating human characteristic. Rather, it is an acknowledgement of the reality of those differences. Paul’s point is not that differences don’t exist, but that they do exist but shouldn’t preclude Christians from fellowshipping together under the banner of the one ultimate characteristic they share: devotion to Christ.
My friend says Sonneville has done several of these presentations in the Kansas City area. She says women rave about the talk. Unfortunately, no one was there to rebuke her false teaching and correct it. The Church has been asleep while the proponents of an anti-biblical sexual ideology have methodically been making their rounds.
For this I apologize. I won’t allow these voices to go unchallenged any longer.
The Family Policy Alliance of Kansas will begin building a network of churches and ministry leaders committed to upholding biblical truths on matters of life, human sexuality, and religious freedom.
We do this to ensure the integrity of the Gospel, yes, and because we understand that the Gospel is desperately needed throughout the world. We will engage opposing voices in person and in print, speaking, preaching, debating and testifying because we know that if God’s word is true than it is good, and if it is good then it is necessary if our neighbors are to thrive.
Will you help me?
Here’s are three things you can do:
First, pray. Please don’t mistake this for some lame head fake towards holiness. Our appeals to the Creator of the Universe are a proclamation that there is an authority higher than any school board, legislature, or Congress. Prayer is, therefore, a political act. And a radical one.
Second, get in the game. This isn’t as daunting as it may sound. Identify your state representative and state senator. (Here’s a tool that makes it easy: Action Center.) Email them and invite them to join you for a coffee. Get to know them. Tell them about yourself. Tell them you will be praying for them. Over time, email them to encourage them and congratulate them. And, when the time comes, tell them what you expect them to do. Remember, they work for you.
I can’t emphasize too strongly the power of such an effort. Almost nobody bothers with their local representatives. Most people don’t even know their name. If you establish a positive, respectful relationship you will influence them.
Third, we need to know your stories. This session, we are working closely with legislators to craft a Student Protection Act. This commonsense bill will require public schools to limit bathrooms, locker rooms, and other similar spaces to members of one sex. It also instructs school leaders to provide reasonable accommodations for students who are not comfortable in such a setting, for whatever reason.
Make no mistake, despite our efforts to provide a safe, fair environment for all students this law will be attacked as hateful, bigoted, and mean. Its supporters will be held accountable for the bullying, depression, and even suicide of LGBTQ students. It’s already happening.
The best way to counter these narratives is by putting forward the voices of Kansans who are concerned with the safety and wellbeing of their children. If that’s you, would you email me at kansas@familypolicyalliance.com?
by Eric Teetsel, president, Family Policy Alliance of Kansas
I was put to shame last week.
This is what happened. A friend told my wife that a doctor had given a talk at her women’s group at church on transgender issues. My wife mentioned it to me. Curious, I asked for more details.
I learned that the speaker was Beth Sonneville, a chaplain at Children’s Mercy Hospital. The purpose of her presentation was to make a biblical argument in favor of transgenderism.
Her argument included Genesis 1:27, which says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Apparently, per Sonneville, this passage says that God contains both male and female, and since we are all created in God’s image, we each have male and female within us.
Sonneville also used Galatians 3:28 – or part of it anyway. The passage she used was, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one”.
It’s a lie. Like the serpent in the Garden, Sonneville twists God’s word to further her pernicious influence.
Genesis 1:27 is fundamental in the Bible’s instruction on human sexuality, but it is not the only word on the subject. A proper understanding of any verse must take into account the full counsel of God’s word. In this case, the Bible provides a fuller account in Genesis 2, and fuller explication of Genesis 1:27 from both Paul and Jesus Himself in Matthew 19, among other teachings.
Genesis 2 provides “the rest of the story” of the creation of Adam and Eve. Here we find Adam in the Garden alone. For the first time, God’s pattern of creation and affirmation is interrupted. Whereas before the LORD surveyed everything He made and saw that it was good, in response to Adam’s loneliness God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him,” (18).
God says a creation in which man is without woman is “not good.” We are complementary pieces. At the close of chapter 2, the Bible says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” (24).
In his letter to the Church in Ephesus, Paul quotes this verse from Genesis and reveals that the one flesh union of husband and wife is a living picture of a magnificent spiritual reality. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church,” (3:32).
Contrary to Sonneville, the implication of the Imago Dei for human sexuality is not that each of us contains male and female, but rather that the duality of male and female was instituted by God as part of a created order that brings distinct halves together in marriage in demonstration of God’s love for His Church.
Sonneville’s twisting of Galatians 3:28 is even more obvious and damnable. She simply left out the crucial clause at the end: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Emphasis added.)
Put aside for a moment the male and female aspect of this verse. What exactly does Sonneville think Paul was saying about Jews and Greeks? Slave and free? If you apply the logic of her conclusion, Paul was not only eliminating sexual distinctions but ethnic and class distinctions as well. That would be odd for Paul, who later relies on his dual citizenship as both a Jew and a Roman in his appeal to Caesar (Acts 25) and who exhorts bondservants to obey their masters and masters to be good to their slaves (Ephesians 6).
Clearly, Galatians 3:28 is not the literal elimination of every differentiating human characteristic. Rather, it is an acknowledgement of the reality of those differences. Paul’s point is not that differences don’t exist, but that they do exist but shouldn’t preclude Christians from fellowshipping together under the banner of the one ultimate characteristic they share: devotion to Christ.
My friend says Sonneville has done several of these presentations in the Kansas City area. She says women rave about the talk. Unfortunately, no one was there to rebuke her false teaching and correct it. The Church has been asleep while the proponents of an anti-biblical sexual ideology have methodically been making their rounds.
For this I apologize. I won’t allow these voices to go unchallenged any longer.
The Family Policy Alliance of Kansas will begin building a network of churches and ministry leaders committed to upholding biblical truths on matters of life, human sexuality, and religious freedom.
We do this to ensure the integrity of the Gospel, yes, and because we understand that the Gospel is desperately needed throughout the world. We will engage opposing voices in person and in print, speaking, preaching, debating and testifying because we know that if God’s word is true than it is good, and if it is good then it is necessary if our neighbors are to thrive.
Will you help me?
Here’s are three things you can do:
First, pray. Please don’t mistake this for some lame head fake towards holiness. Our appeals to the Creator of the Universe are a proclamation that there is an authority higher than any school board, legislature, or Congress. Prayer is, therefore, a political act. And a radical one.
Second, get in the game. This isn’t as daunting as it may sound. Identify your state representative and state senator. (Here’s a tool that makes it easy: Action Center.) Email them and invite them to join you for a coffee. Get to know them. Tell them about yourself. Tell them you will be praying for them. Over time, email them to encourage them and congratulate them. And, when the time comes, tell them what you expect them to do. Remember, they work for you.
I can’t emphasize too strongly the power of such an effort. Almost nobody bothers with their local representatives. Most people don’t even know their name. If you establish a positive, respectful relationship you will influence them.
Third, we need to know your stories. This session, we are working closely with legislators to craft a Student Protection Act. This commonsense bill will require public schools to limit bathrooms, locker rooms, and other similar spaces to members of one sex. It also instructs school leaders to provide reasonable accommodations for students who are not comfortable in such a setting, for whatever reason.
Make no mistake, despite our efforts to provide a safe, fair environment for all students this law will be attacked as hateful, bigoted, and mean. Its supporters will be held accountable for the bullying, depression, and even suicide of LGBTQ students. It’s already happening.
The best way to counter these narratives is to speak up for the safety and wellbeing of their children.
Learn more about Family Policy Alliance of Kansas.
Religious freedom on the ropes. God being pushed out of the public square. Families struggling to survive, let alone thrive. The current state of our culture can often leave one wondering if there is any hope left for America.
Dr. Wayne Grudem, says there is much to be hopeful about. He spoke at the Family Policy Alliance annual FPC conference this summer and we thought you’d like to be encouraged, just like we were.